HUGE MEGA CITIES PROJECTS.....

 01

Huge real estate projects seek new investors

Many investors have quit large-scale investment projects capitalized at trillions of dong.

The Thai Nguyen People’s Committee has recently released a decision on revoking a license granted to the project on developing a 5-star Nui Coc Lake Resort in Tan Thai commune in Dai Tu district. 

The project was registered by Flamingo Holding with estimated investment capital of VND2.887 trillion.

The Dai Tu district authorities were assigned to do land and project planning management, and give advice on choosing investors.

A source told VietNamNet that prior to that, Flamingo Holding had sent a document to the local authorities, asking for permission to terminate the investment project and got approval on August 30.

In mid-July, the company sent a report to the province, showing problems preventing project implementation. 

The site clearance workload was very low which made it impossible to allocate land to investors. 

The purpose of the project was not associated with the local people’s demand for resettlement, so the developer could not continue the next procedures of the project.

According to the investor, some non-resident individuals collected land in the locality for speculation. They carried out illegal building on agricultural land. The investor wanted to buy land from these individuals but failed because they set overly high prices.

The Quang Ninh People’s Committee recently decided to take back 240 hectares of land and water surface leased since 2019 for the development of a golf course, high-end resort and 5-star hotel (Monbay Van Don project) in the Ao Tien area of Van Don district. The project was registered by HDMon Van Don.

HDMon Van Don sent a document on terminating investment activities on the project in February.

In June 2022, the Quang Ninh Investment Support Service Center noted the issuance of bidding documents to choose investors to implement the project.

Prior to that, in April 2022, the Van Don Economic Zone Management Board released a decision approving the list of investors satisfying the requirements on capability and project experience.

There were two investors – HDMon Van Don and the joint name of Van Phat Hung Investment and Development and Xuan Dinh Investment and Construction.

A series of projects revoked

Many other localities have also recently revoked licenses and stopped projects because of slow implementation.

In Quang Ninh, provincial authorities decided to cancel Decision No 16 dated January 7, 2010 under which land was allocated for a project with a total area of 6,577 sq m in Bai Chay ward in Ha Long City.

Under the decision, Quang Ninh province approved the 1/500 construction planning. In November 2011, the province released Decision 3486, allowing Indevco to divide the land plot into high-end villas. 

However, 12 years have elapsed since the day of approval, and though located in an advantageous position, it remains a deserted land, while a series of buildings and hotels have been built nearby.

According to Quang Ninh People’s Committee, the project planning is no longer suitable to the planning adjustments of Ha Long City by 2040, and no longer suitable to the 1/2000 subdivision planning on building a high-end tourism, service and entertainment center (sub-division 6) in the wards of Bai Chay, Hung Thang and Ha Khau.

In Vinh Phuc, the provincial Department of Planning and Investment publicized four projects on housing and urban areas which have been revoked. These include the Nui Bau Urban Area – Zone 2; Hoang Vuong housing project; and two social housing projects.

In addition, the province approved proposals by investors on terminating the operation of seven service, trade and production projects.

In Hanoi, the People’s Committee has revoked four projects as investors have not implemented them over the last 10 years, and they have sent documents to get back the land and stop the projects. These include Prime Group, Vinalines, BMC and Viet A new urban areas.

Meanwhile, the Hoa Binh provincial People’s Committee last June released a notice on stopping surveys and procedures for four projects related to FLC Group, namely Yen Thuy complex of resort, ecological urban area, sports and entertainment areas (704.8 hectares); Quynh Lam multi-functional center in Hoa Binh City (19 hectares); Tong Dau Ecological Urban Area and Resort Center (118 hectares) and Thung Nai resort, eco-urban, sports and entertainment area (981 hectares).

Hong Khanh

02

'Huge win': South Shore communities to get millions for coastal infrastructure projects

Several South Shore communities will receive a total of nearly $4.3 million in state money to help prepare for severe storms and alleviate the harsh impacts of climate change along the coast.

Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration this week announced $12.6 million in grants through the state's Coastal Resilience Grant Program to support local planning and shoreline management projects.

More: It’s everywhere: Sea-level rise’s surprising reach damaging more than East Coast shoreline

State Sen. Patrick O'Connor, a Weymouth Republican, said the money is a "huge win" for the region.

“It goes to show that there’s a lot of emphasis from the state to do as much as we can as financial partners because these projects are incredibly expensive,” O’Connor said. “A lot of this will protect the character of the South Shore and who we are. Our coast is a huge identity factor for why people move here and decide to stay here, and the money will go to projects that are beneficial to the people who recreate the beaches, live along the coast and general infrastructure.”

A deteriorating sea wall at Rebecca Road near Lighthouse Point in Scituate on Thursday, June 9, 2022.

On the South Shore, the largest grant is going to Scituate, which will receive just shy of $2 million for a North Scituate beach nourishment project. The money will allow the town to prepare final design plans and contract documents and construct a portion of the project.

Duxbury Beach Reservation Inc., the nonprofit that owns Duxbury Beach, will receive $1.8 million for a beach and dune nourishment project in front of the Duxbury Pavilion. The project will protect against storm damage and help with flood control in Duxbury Bay.

The organization will also receive about $253,000 to run a monitoring program of cobble berms to better understand their design and performance. The group will work with Braintree, Chilmark, Falmouth and Winthrop, as well as the Stone Living Lab, for the project.

More: 'We want the harbor cinema back': There's a plan to revamp Scituate's movie theater

Story continues

Cohasset will receive nearly $161,925 to assess the vulnerability of its wastewater treatment plant, pump station at Jacob’s Meadow and other public infrastructure within Cohasset Cove and the James Brook Watershed. The project will develop resiliency strategies to mitigate flooding risks.

Marshfield and Duxbury will receive nearly $71,000 to continue permitting for a project to pursue beach and dune nourishment at vulnerable coastal beaches along the towns' east-facing shorelines. The towns will also continue public outreach to update the communities on the project and its public benefits.

O'Connor said the money, combined with grants through the state's Dam and Seawall Program, mark some of the state's largest coastal investments for the South Shore.

Last week, the state announced Scituate will receive $3 million to reconstruct a segment of the Oceanside Drive sea wall and nearly $3 million for a segment of sea wall at Oceanside Drive and Turner Road.

Super high tide waves break along the Nantasket Beach sea wall in Hull on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

Hull will also receive $3 million for repairs to the sea wall  at Nantasket Avenue.

O'Connor said the state's investments are a testament to the expertise of local officials who oversee their communities' coastal infrastructure.

"It's a very competitive process, and I'm very thrilled to see the South Shore got so much attention," he said.

More: Weymouth officials say they won't supply water for proposed 99-room hotel in Union Point

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore communities to get millions for coastal infrastructure

03

Mumbai's Aarey Colony - 3,000 Acres And A Metro Project

The car-shed dispute is tangled up in local and national politics.

Shouts of "Azadi"- Hindi for freedom - keep time with the rhythmic beating of drums as protesters gather in a densely wooded area in Mumbai.

Since July, crowds ranging in size from dozens to hundreds have been congregating for these weekly Sunday demonstrations. At issue: a metro train car shed set to rise on undeveloped land in Aarey Colony, a lush pocket of urban wilderness that environmentalists consider the last "green lung" in the Indian megacity.

Spread over approximately 3,000 acres and owned primarily by the state's Dairy Development Department, Aarey Colony is a mix of wetlands and woodlands, as well as clusters of mud-brick homes and small farming plots, all within the limits of the densely packed city of Mumbai. For around eight years, this rare green space has been ground zero in a conflict over how to complete a much-needed mass transit system without damaging a fragile ecosystem - and the indigenous communities that rely on it.

To combat congestion and pollution in a metropolitan region with an estimatedpopulation of over 20 million, Mumbai desperately needs to complete the 14-line metro system currently under construction. In particular, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) - a joint venture between the state and central government - has advanced plans for one crucial line, known as Metro Line 3, which calls for constructing a train car shed inside Aarey Colony.

A coalition of environmental groups and Adivasis, or members of India's indigenous communities, have joined with other residents of the area to fight the proposal: Encroaching development in Aarey Colony has already shrunk the green space, and many fear the metro project will open to the door to future projects.

The car-shed dispute is tangled up in local and national politics. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra originally planned the metro car shed for Aarey Colony in 2014. But after Uddhav Thackeray came to power in the state in 2019, they sought to preserve the area, designating around 800 acres as reserved forest land the following year and vowing to move the shed to a different location. This June, an internal party rebellion ousted Mr Thackeray; his replacement Eknath Shinde, allied with the BJP, restarted preparations for construction in Aarey Colony in his very first cabinet meeting within a day of taking power.  

The question of whether to proceed with the controversial project now rests with the Supreme Court. After multiple delays, the petitioners on a case led by environmental nonprofit Vanashakti are hoping for a comprehensive hearing towards the end of September. The results will have significant implications for the future of Mumbai: The petitioners are not only hoping to stop the construction of the car shed, but are also pressing for all of Aarey Colony to be designated a protected forest, likely putting an end to any other such construction projects in this area.

Representatives for the MMRC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority didn't respond to requests for comment.

In an extremely crowded city with limited green space and parks, the fate of Aarey Colony is an issue that goes far beyond its immediate surrounding neighborhoods, advocates say.

"If we lose this, we lose our water supply," says Shivani Bhatt, a protester who is concerned about damage to the site's four rivers, and in particular, the flood plain of the nearby Mithi River. "We lose clean air. We lose our [city's natural] air conditioning. It's pertinent with climate change that we protect this area."

Though it's located just 20 miles from downtown Mumbai, the area has long managed to avoid development because it was mainly owned by the state's Dairy Development Department.  In the 1950s, Aarey Colony became known as a "milk colony" - intended to produce dairy products for the city. As decades passed, the city around the area swiftly transformed into a powerhouse of industry and a cosmopolitan hub of filmmaking and culture.

"What is the leopard going to do? Is he going to ride the metro?"

Residents turned to Aarey Colony for an escape from city life, drawn by its lakes and gardens, boating spots, and its proximity to the officially protected Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The area is also home to about two dozen Adivasi hamlets, as well as cobras, vipers, newly discovered species of scorpions and spiders, and the most revered of all - leopards.

Aarey Colony has already faced numerous encroachments in the form of large housing complexes and a Bollywood studio facility called Film City, but the Metro Line 3 car shed has become the most controversial project thus far. Though its proponents argue that the car shed will occupy only 2% to 3% of the whole area, it will involve cutting roughly 2,700 trees. Stalin Dayanand, the director of Vanashakti, says that the environmental group accessed minutes from internal government meetings that suggest the car shed could be just the first step towards transforming the area into a glittering strip of commercial development.

"Aarey lands are prime property in the heart of the city, in a green zone," says Dayanand, who is also a petitioner before the Supreme Court to preserve the land. "Any construction in Aarey will have high premium value."

Deadly Overcrowding

The location of the car shed aside, nearly everyone in Mumbai agrees that the city needs more - and safer - public transportation. Each day, more than 8 million commuters squeeze themselves onto the city's aging suburban rail system, which often operates well beyond capacity. This overcrowding has deadly consequences: In 2021, roughly five people per day died falling from packed trains or attempting to cross the tracks, according to railway police estimates, even though many commuters were working from home.

Meanwhile, Mumbai's roadways face worsening congestion, with reports of 47% more new car registrations in 2021. The MMRC estimates that the Metro Line 3 project will transport 1.7 million Mumbaikars per day, reducing car trips by more than 600,000 daily, and curbing fuel consumption as well as air and noise pollution.

"If there is one city that would benefit from a metro, it's Mumbai," says Shreya Gadepalli of the Urban Works Institute, a Chennai-based think tank. She notes that the only line that is currently operational in the city has the highest ridership per kilometer in all of India: "It's a promising sign."  

For those who live in Aarey Colony, however, the conflict has little to do with the metro itself. "As Adivasis, we are not opposed to the metro at all," says Anil Page, an Adivasi man who lives in Aarey. But he is frustrated at the process: For years, another possible location for the metro car shed was discussed and then rejected due to politically fraught debates over ownership of that land. So far, officials say approximately 1,780 "hutments" (a term for unauthorized housing) and 709 families living on privately held land will be impacted by this metro line. Page says he would rather be killed than uprooted. "We're not going to give this up without a fight."

Sitting in her own mud-brick dwelling, Page's sister, Vinita Thakre, speaks of the Adivasis' close connection to nature; families like hers rely on fresh-caught mud crabs, fruit from mango trees, and other local foods. Communities in Aarey Colony also live among animals like cobras and leopards. Despite the risks, Ms Thakre says she holds no fear of the big predators; in fact, she says, the leopard "is like a god." Not far from her home is the Waghoba temple, where some Adivasis worship a brightly painted idol of a big cat.

Camera traps have captured images of leopards moving through the metro car shed area, leaving the community worried about what will happen to these endangered creatures if construction proceeds. "Just like we live off the jungle, the leopard lives off the jungle," Ms Thakre says. "What is the leopard going to do? Is he going to ride the metro?"

Some urban planning specialists, though still optimistic about the metro project, have wider concerns about the transit system.  While much of Metro Line 3 will be underground, the rest of the lines are elevated, which experts like Dikshu Kukreja, managing principal at C P Kukreja Architects, says is not ideal. "I am a strong proponent of underground metros. These large, concrete nodal lines crisscrossing the city above ground are not the character cities should have."

Underground construction, however, is more expensive. "In India, we often look at capital expenditure, but we don't look at long-term benefits. As an urban planner, I think we need to think long-term," Kukreja says.

Other complain that Mumbai leaders are investing too much in US-style urban highway projects, such as the $1.5-billion Mumbai Coastal Road project, a sweeping eight-lane waterfront expressway set to be completed by the end of 2023. Even using the city's optimistic usage predictions, the road will only benefit about 3% of the population according to University of Pennsylvania professor and environmental anthropologist Nikhil Anand, who came to these projections based on the anticipated drivers as a percentage of Mumbai's population and commuters per car.  

Given the city's vast population and increasing vulnerability to extreme heat and flooding, climate-friendlier public transportation infrastructure should be prioritized instead, many critics of the project have pointed out. "Personalized transport is a very American concept that has been romanticized," Kukreja says. "Any city, Mumbai included, should adopt all modes of public transit, including the metro system."

Gadepalli also rejects the notion that environmentally friendly projects are inherently anti-development. "We need to change that way of thinking." As for Aarey Colony, she adds, "There's never an easy answer, but I believe that we need to think about equity and environmental sustainability and ensure that we're not jeopardizing the livelihoods of the vulnerable for the sake of development."

Mumbai also has a pressing need for a centralized authority when it comes to making strategic decisions about the transportation network, says Rahul Kadri, principal architect at IMK Architects in the city. Presently, the bus system, railways, and metro are split into silos.

"We need an authority that is integrated and comprehensive, that is looking at where people commute, how they commute, and how we can make it simpler."

And when it comes to Aarey Colony, in addition to echoing the value of an underground network, he is in favor of placing the metro car shed in another location. Though that option has proven politically difficult, he says: "Why would we use forest land for this? What is the need?"

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)